ArtCare is the creative health service at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. Creative health is widely recognised as a valuable asset to the quality of care provided in hospitals and healthcare settings. If you’re new to creative health you can read our introductory guide. ArtCare aims to inspire creativity and innovation in healthcare by delivering a quality arts programme. In all its activities, ArtCare is looking to reinforce the link between the arts and healthcare and to raise awareness of the importance of a creative hospital environment to patient and staff wellbeing.

What we do

Our services

The ArtCare team has more than 25 years of experience delivering visual, participatory and environmental projects for patients, visitors and staff at Salisbury District Hospital, as well as projects in other hospitals and health care settings, including mental health. Some of these take place under Service Level Agreements. ArtCare also works collaboratively with local schools and colleges and engages in community based arts in health projects. Take a look at some of our individual projects in more detail.

ArtCare’s core funded work falls under four categories: patient experience, public engagement, staff wellbeing and innovation. Our core work priorities for the next two years are contained in ‘ArtCare’s core work 2018-20’ available to download as a pdf. Our charges for projects, both within the Trust and other NHS organisations are also detailed in this document.

ArtCare offers

  • a full interior design service advising on colour schemes; designing bespoke flooring, wall cladding and ceiling tiles
  • designing internal door signs; window film; finding innovative ways for displaying information
  • a temporary exhibition programme
  • advice and organisation of specific commissions, including selection of suitable artists from our extensive database or advertising, contracts and pricing
  • participatory arts projects, including creative activities on wards with our Elevate programme and staff arts club workshops
  • recording and sharing of the hospital’s historical archives and collections relating to health care in Salisbury
  • video and animation projects
  • collaborative projects with local schools, colleges and community, including education resources
  • advice on graphic design and leaflet and poster layout, web design advice
  • consultancy on setting up arts in health projects, art committees and art fundraising
  • talks and presentations about creative health and guided tours of artworks at Salisbury District Hospital

If you are planning a refurbishment of your ward or department you can download our guide to improving patient areas. This provides examples of how to achieve an integrated design and outline costs to help you start planning a project with ArtCare.

Our funding

core costs, grants, supporters

An annual donation from the hospital’s Stars Appeal allows ArtCare to carry out its core activities. Additional funds are also raised through donations, exhibition sales and grants for other specific projects. ArtCare is currently supported by: the Stars Appeal and ArtCare Friends. Find out how you can support the project.

Planning a project

Need our help?

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